Toy building kit



Dec.1 0,196 8 A., -IS ;HER 3,415,008

TOY BUILDING KIT Filed Sept. 21. 1966 X Fig.3

INVENTOR.

ARTUR FISCHER BY N42 uni J: 11 y United States Patent TOY BUILDING KITArtur Fischer, Tumlingen, Kreis Freudenstadt, Germany Filed Sept. 21,1966, Ser. No. 580,943 Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 27,1965,

14 Claims. (Cl. 4626) The present invention relates to a toy buildingkit, and more specifically to a coupling means for coupling blocks in atoy building kit to one another for relative angular movement.

In several of my copending applications I have set forth toy buildingkits comprising building blocks which are provided with undercut groovesand/or projecting portions joined to the respective block by a neck oflesser maximum cross-sectional area than the projecting portion, theconstruction of various models being accomplished by inserting theprojecting portion of one block into an undercut groove of another blockso that the two blocks are secured together without danger of accidentlycoming apart.

Kits of this type are highly versatile in that they permit the simpleconstruction of a great number of different models. However, they dolack one feature to attain their full potential versatility, namely thepossibility of realtive angular movement of blocks which are joinedtogether. The desirability of such a feature will be readilyunderstandable if one considers, for example, an attempt to construct amodel building having a gable roof where obviously the building blockslocated at the top of the roof on opposite sides of What in an actualbuilding would be the roof beam, must be angled relative to one another.This is not possible with the kits of this type which are known.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to enhancestill further the versatility of the toy construction kits known from mypresently copending applications.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a toy building kitof the general type mentioned above which includes a coupling means forcoupling toy building blocks to one another with freedom of relativeangular displacement.

An additional object of the invention is to provide such a toy buildingkit in which the coupling means is very simple to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coupling means such asset forth above which is simple to manufacture and inexpensive.

In accordance with one feature of my invention I provide, in a toybuilding kit, at least two toy building blocks which each have at leastone undercut connecting portion. To achieve my objective of makingpossible relative angular displacement of these toy building blocks whenthey are connected to each other I provide coupling means which couplesthe toy building blocks to one another so that they have freedom ofrelative angular displacement. Thiscoupling means comprises two couplingsections which are each provided with at least one connecting portionadapted to mate with an undercut connecting portion of one of the toybuilding blocks for securing the respective toy building block fixedlyto the respective coupling section. Further, the coupling meanscomprises joint means which joins the coupling means to one another withfreedom of relative angular displacement so that the building blockswhich are thus connected to the coupling sections are similarlyangularly displaceable.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth is particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned elevation of an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top-plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing toybuilding blocks connected thereto;

FIG. 4 is a top-plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, also showingbuilding blocks connected thereto, but in an arrangement differing fromthat of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a top-plan view, partly in section, of a second embodiment ofthe invention.

Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG. 1 thereof, itwill be seen that the coupling means is generally designated withreference numeral 1 and comprises two coupling sections identified withreference numerals 2 and 3. These coupling sections are in theembodiment shown of block-shaped configuration and are provided at theirfree end faces with connecting portions 4 and 5, respectively. Theseconnecting portions have been disclosed in my copending applications andare configurated to be receivable in under cut grooves provided inbuliding blocks, such as those designated with reference numerals 10 and11 in FIG. 3, which are to be secured to the coupling means.Advantageously, each of the two coupling sections 2 and 3 has a lengthcorresponding to the length of the building blocks 10 and 11; however,it should be understood that this is by no means a necessary requirementand that the length of these coupling sections can be selected at will,with the two sections even being of different lengths if so desired.

The coupling sections 2, 3 are each provided with a plate-likeprojecting portion 6, 7, respectively, which together form a hinge as isevident in FIGS. 1 and 3. These portions are advantageously integralwith the remainder of the section and can for instance be provided byproviding the sections with suitable cutouts. The portions 6, 7 overlapone another as is evident from FIGS. 1 and 3 and are each provided witha bore. As hown in FIG. 1, the respective bores are axially aligned withone another and are internally screw-threadedl. An externally screwthreaded tubular bushing 9 is screwed into these bores so that the twosections 2, 3 can turn about this bushing 9 and thus be angularlydisplaced relative to one another. A shaft 8 can be inserted through thecenter opening of the bushing 9, if desired.

To prevent angular displacement of the sections 2, 3 relative to oneanother at times when this is not desired, spring, such as a left spring14, is placed between the abutting faces of the portions 6, 7 and has atendency to permanently bias these portions apart. Since it thus engagesthe juxtaposed faces of the portions 6, 7 the friction thereby createdserves to prevent undesired angular displacement of the sections 2, 3

The sections 2, 3 are advantageously also provided with undercut grooves6a, 7a corresponding to the grooves provided in the building blocks 10,11. This makes it possible to secure to the sections 2,. 3 such buildingblocks as are provided with connecting portions corresponding to theprojecting heads 4, 5 provided in the sections 2, 3. The referencenumerals 12 and 13 indicate building blocks which have been so securedto the respective sections 2, 3.

FIG. 4 shows how the building blocks 10, 11 can be angularly displacedby relative movement of the sections 2, 3 about the bushing 9, and alsofurther by turning of the entire arrangement about the shaft 8 securedin the center bore 911 of bushing 9. Alternate positions are shown inFIG. 4 in chain lines and the arrows indicate the direction of movementof the various members.

Coming now to the embodiment of FIG. 5, it will be evident that thisembodiment differs from the one shown in FIGS. 1-4 in the constructionof the joint means. In FIG. 5 the joint means of FIGS. l4, namely theprojecting portions 6, 7 and the bushing 9, is replaced by a ball andsocket joint 23. The sections in FIG. 5 are are indicated with referencenumerals and 16 and are each provided at their respective free end faceswith the projecting connecting portions 17, 18. The other end faces ofthe sections 15 and 16 respectively carry a recess 21 and a projectingportion of spherical configuration, indicated with reference numeral 22.Advantageously, the section end portions located inwardly of the endfaces which are provided with the recess 21 and the ball element 22taper frusto-conically in the direction towards these end faces in whichthese respective elements are provided to provide for freer movement ofthe sections 15, 16 relative to one another. The element 22 can beinserted into the recess 21 in various ways; for instance, it can beforced into the recess 21 if the material of section 15 has elasticproperties.

In accordance with the invention the various elements and portionsherein described are advantageously made from a synthetic plasticmaterial, although other materials are also suitable for this purpose.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types of atoy building kit differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied intoy building kits, it is not intended to be limited to the detailsshown, since various modifications and structural changes may be madewithout departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy building kit, in combination, at least two toy buildingblocks each provided with at least one un- :lercut connecting portion;and coupling means for coupling said toy building blocks to one anotherwith freedom of relative angular displacement, said coupling meanscomprising two coupling sections each provided with at least oneconnecting portion adapted to mat with an undercut connecting portion ofone of said toy building blocks for securing such toy building blockfixedly to the respective coupling section, and said coupling meansfurther comprising joint means joining said coupling sections to oneanother with freedom of relative angular displacement, so that thebuilding blocks connected to said coupling sections are similarlyangularly displaceable.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling sectionsare elongated and of polygonal crosssection, and wherein each of saidcoupling sections is provided with a substantially plate-shapedprojecting portion extending therefrom in the direction of elongation ofthe respective coupling section, said joint means joining saidprojecting portions to one another.

3. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the respectiveprojecting portions are each provided with a face and with a boreextending normal to the elongation of the respective coupling section,said faces being juxtaposed with said bores aligned and said joint meansbeing received in said aligned bores.

4. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said bores areinternally screw-threaded, and wherein said joint means is a tubularbushing externally screw-threaded and received in said bores with thescrew-threads of said bores and said bushing meshing, said bushingdefining an axis of rotation about which said sections pivot.

5. A combination as defined in claim 4; and further comprising frictionspring means received between said juxtaposed faces in engagement withboth of the same, and permanently tending to transversely displace saidfaces one relative to the other.

6. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said undercut connectingportions on said toy building blocks and said sections comprise undercutgrooves and projecting undercut connecting heads.

7. A combination as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of saidsections including the associated projecting portion thereof is of alength corresponding to at least one dimension of at least one of saidbuilding blocks.

8. A combination as defined in claim 7, wherein the thickness of both ofsaid projecting portions together, as seen normal to the elongation ofthe respective section, corresponds to the dimension of said onebuilding block at right angles to said one dimension.

9. A combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said bushing is providedwith a central passage adapted to accommodate a tubular auxiliarymember, for instance an axle.

10. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said joint meanscomprises a ball-and-socket joint arrangement.

11. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling sectionsare elongated and each provided with an endface, said endfaces beingjuxtaposed with spacing from one another; and wherein said joint meanscomprises a ball provided on one of said endfaces projecting therefromand a socket recessed in the other of said endfaces, said ball beingreceived in said socket for turning movement therewithin.

12. A combination as defined in claim 11, wherein said coupling sectionseach have an endportion inwardly adjacent the respective endface, andwherein said endportions taper in cross-sectional area in the directiontoward the respective endface. I

13. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein at least said sectionsconsist of synthetic plastic material.

14. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said coupling meansconsists of synthetic plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,885,822 5/1959 Onanian 46-26LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A TOY BUILDING KIT, IN COMBINATION, AT LEAST TWO TOY BUILDINGBLOCKS EACH PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE UNDERCUT CONNECTING PORTION; ANDCOUPLING MEANS FOR COUPLING SAID TOY BUILDING BLOCKS TO ONE ANOTHER WITHFREEDOM OF RELATIVE ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT, SAID COUPLING MEANS COMPRISINGTWO COUPLING SECTIONS EACH PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE CONNECTING PORTIONADAPTED ATO MAT WITH AN UNDERCUT CONNECTING PORTION OF ONE OF SAID TOYBUILD-